On the Way There
by Queen Failey
Summary: Dorothy is on her way to The Emerald City, and she meets some... different new friends on the way there. She finds out about Fiyero and Elphaba's romance, and learns about Elphaba and Glinda's friendship. Not told from Dorothy's point of view- don't worry. In fact. She's not even the main character. Rated T cause I'm paranoid. FIYERABA.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: There's a reason it's called FAN Fiction. But a girl can dream, right?**

**AN: Hey! This is my very first story on here! I really hope everyone enjoys it; it's not the type of Wicked story that I usually write. I mostly just do Shiz-era stuff. But I really liked this idea of this one, so here it is!**

**I'll try to update every other day, maybe even every day if I get the chance. That probably won't happen for a while though. I have exams and CRCT (the standardized test we have to take, for those of you who don't know) soon, and my never-ending rehearsal schedule... Like literally, I'm going to be at my theatre company every day for the next two weeks. **

**Oh and another thing: please tell me if you find any grammatical errors or typos. I'll try to proofread as best I can before I send out the chapters, but I'm writing this on my lousy excuse for a phone, and the autocorrect on it has a mind of its own. Also, please tell me if the story starts to bore you, or if you have any suggestions on how to make it better. I'll try to consider them. Just know that in the long-run, I control the story, so more than likely there will be suggestions I don't add. Thanks!**

**Chapter One: Off to See the Wizard**

It was a warm autumn day in Oz on the day of the Wicked Witch of the East's death. It was rumored throughout all Oz that she had been flattened by a house, owned by a young, good witch by the name of Dorothy Gale. All the munchkins were overjoyed by this news, which is why Glinda the Good was sent for immediately. It was known by all Oz that she always threw the most amazifying parties.

So when she came, Glinda conjured up a grand party. In reality, Glinda was saddened by the fact that her former best friend's sister was now dead, but there was no way in Oz she'd ever let anyone, save for maybe Fiyero (if she knew where he was), know that.

Halfway through the party, the people began to mingle with each other. That was when Dorothy found her way over to Glinda.

"Excuse me, Miss Glinda?" the young girl asked.

"Yes?" Glinda replied, a bit startled- she had yet to see this girl her whole life, and was quite frightened at first that she didn't recognize her voice.

"Ma'am, while this party is all well and good, and I am having a wonderful time, I really think I ought to be going back to Kansas about now. My Aunt Em and Uncle Henry will miss me terribly if I don't show up soon."

"Oh!" said Glinda. She hadn't the faintest idea of who this poor girl was, and she was asking her to go back home? Glinda briefly returned to the attitude of the brainless, ditzy blonde girl she used to be, back at Shiz. She had no clue what to do.

"Um... Well, you see dear... I don't know how to say this..." Glinda thought for a moment.

*Aha!* She came up with an idea.

"The only way you can go back to Kansas is if you follow the Yellow Brick Road to the City of Emeralds. Meet the Wizard there and he will help you get back."

Satisfied with her reply to the girl, Glinda decided it would be best if she wrote to the Wizard and told him of her encounter with the girl, Dorothy, her name was?

Glinda's thoughts were interrupted when the girl practically tackled her in a great bear hug.

"Oh thank you Miss Glinda! Toto and I'll just be heading off now! Thank you for the directions."

And that was that.

It was two long hours later when Dorothy came across a fork in the Yellow Brick Road, right next to a big cornfield.

"Well this is just great! Now I'll never know how to get back to Kansas! Oh Toto, how will we ever figure out which road to take?" Dorothy asked her dog.

"Well that depends on where you're going!" exclaimed a voice. Dorothy jumped, as she didn't know there was another person with her. She turned around only to find a scarecrow pinned to a pole next to the cornfield.

*It couldn't have been the scarecrow; they don't talk!* Dorothy thought. *I must just be hearing things.*

"Where are you going?" asked the voice. This time, Dorothy screamed, as she realized that it was, in fact, the scarecrow who had spoken.

"Oh my!" she shouted in disbelief. "You can talk!"

"As can you." said the scarecrow. "Now, if you don't mind, could you please help me off this pole? I've been stuck here for Oz knows how many clock-ticks."

Dorothy helped him down. Although she was confused about his existence, and thought that maybe someone slipped something into her punch that day, she realized that if the scarecrow WAS real, the polite thing to do would be to help him out.

"Thanks, uh..." Fiyero realized he didn't know the girl's name.

"Dorothy," she told him.

"Thank you, Dorothy. Now, about where you're heading off to?"

"Oh! Yes. The City Of Emeralds. I was told by Glinda the Good Witch that if I went there and met with the Wizard, he would tell me how to get back to Kansas. But now I'll never get to him because of the break in the Yellow Brick Road!" Dorothy sat down on a nearby tree stump and started to cry.

"Now now, don't cry! I may be brainless, but I do know how to get to the Emerald City from this very spot! You said Glinda told you to go there? Oz, I haven't seen her since..." Fiyero realized his mistake of almost giving away his identity. He pretended to look thoughtful for a moment, but was cut off by the girl, who couldn't have been more than 14.

"Since when?" Dorothy asked.

"Never you mind about that," Fiyero snapped.

"Anyway, might I suggest that I accompany you on your journey to the Emerald City? After all, I'm the one with the knowledge of how to get there," he said, hoping Elphaba might be found there. Fiyero knew it was unlikely. As Glinda has said once before, "She doesn't want to be found," but he also knew that every step he took was a step closer to finding her. Elphaba had saved his life. He needed to speak with her, see proof that she was alive and well, if only for a moment. He loved her, and he wasn't going to let her slip away that easily.

"Oh that's a lovely idea! Thank you, Scarecrow!" Dorothy exclaimed.

Fiyero was reminded briefly of a certain blonde girl when Dorothy said that and squealed, hugging him tightly.

*So maybe she's annoying as all Oz, but it'll definitely be worth it when I get to see Fae again,* Fiyero thought.

Dorothy sang about the "Wonderful Wizard of Oz" as she skipped down the Yellow Brick Road.

Fiyero remembered his encounter with the Wizard when he told Elphaba he'd be running off with her. The Wizard was a fraud. A phoney-boloney. He didn't even deserve to call himself wonderful, much less a wizard. However as much as he hated the "Wizard," Fiyero let Dorothy think what she did about him. She'd soon know of his lies.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Yes, I own Wicked. That's why I'm writing fanfiction for it. (I hope you understood that that was sarcasm.)**

**AN: Hey! So I don't know whether or not the AN I tried to add to the first chapter showed up or not... Can you guys see it?**

**If you can't, it basically just says I'm open for suggestions on how to make the story better if you get bored, and to please tell me if you catch any typos or grammatical errors. Also, I'll try to post every day, but because I'm on such a tight schedule, what with testing and rehearsals going on, I'll probably end up posting every other day. I still have to write it, too.**

**Thanks!**

**Chapter Two: Fire and Kisses and Screams, Oh My!**

Once it got dark, Fiyero decided that it would be best if they collected some firewood and settled down for the night. Dorothy agreed because she was quite exhausted from the day's events, and helped him to start the fire. After that was done, the two sat down on logs they'd brought near the blaze, and made light conversation until Dorothy dozed off to sleep.

Because Fiyero didn't need to sleep, being a scarecrow and all, he took this time to think about Elphaba. He got so deep in thought, he could've sworn he saw her standing right in front of him, broomstick and all.

"Fae..." Fiyero called out, a little too loudly. Dorothy stirred in her sleep, her brown curls tangling and a pained expression plastered on her small face. Fiyero saw a quick flash of green light, and Dorothy fell into a deeper sleep. Her restlessness died down and she became more relaxed.

Then, Fiyero heard a soft gasp, and then a laugh- one he knew all too well. Elphaba.

"Finally, something good came from that wretched book!" a voice whispered. Fiyero opened his eyes wide, only to see Elphaba standing before him.

Oz, was she beautiful. Her long, raven-black hair cascaded down her back, and her emerald skin seemed brighter next to the fire. Having not seen her in weeks, Fiyero noticed that she looked much thinner, underfed. When he really looked at her, he saw how miserable she seemed. Despite the tiny smile on her face, anyone with eyes could see that she was in pain. Whether that was from emotional or physical struggle, Fiyero might never know.

"Fae?" Fiyero said quietly, "Is that you?" He stood up tentatively.

Elphaba jumped slightly. She didn't know if she could trust this new voice. She looked around, trying to find the source of it and contemplating if she should answer. It DID sound familiar.

"Wh-who are you?" she asked slowly, cursing in her head because of her stutter.

"You tell me," Fiyero replied, leaning in to kiss her.

Elphaba gasped in realization. "Yero," she said simply, before pulling him back for another kiss.

"Mmm-hmmm..." Fiyero answered. "I missed you, a lot."

"Oh really?" Elphaba asked, raising one eyebrow. Fiyero nodded quickly.

Elphaba chuckled softly. "Did you miss me this much?" She pulled him into another kiss.

"I think I missed you more than that," Fiyero replied, and their little game continued like that for more than a few minutes.

That is, until they heard a shriek from a few feet away.

**AN: Also, sorry this chap is a bit short! I just really wanted it to leave off here and I didn't know what to write to make it longer in the middle..**

**Another thing: The flash of light and Elphaba getting all excited by it- I kind of just imagined that Elphaba could see into peoples' dreams, and saw that Dorothy wasn't having a good one, so she tried to fix that and it worked... I don't know, I kind of just needed a way for Fiyero to know it was her... If you don't like thinking of it as the dream thing, let your imagination decide what that was supposed to be haha. I honestly wasn't positive when I wrote it of what it was... (And I'm still not now, but that's okay.)**

**First big test tomorrow:-/. Wish me luck! I probably won't post tomorrow, but I will be writing. :-) I made sure with my teacher that I was allowed to write once I finished the test :-D!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I wish.**

**AN: Hey! Sorry this is a little late! I had rehearsals and was cramming for my math test, the usual haha. I have my first Jungle Book rehearsal tonight, so I'm really excited! I'm Colonel Hathi, so it should be pretty fun. **

**I might not be on for a while- I'm gonna try to write a few more chapters before I post more (I haven't even gotten to Chapter Four.) I can't imagine that this story will be too long... I'm sort of low on ideas... Any suggestions? **

**Oh and Fae The Queen, I've never read that one.. I'll see if I can find it... I wouldn't get your hopes up though.. I'm really awful with stuff like that haha.**

**So I'm gonna shut up now and let you read the third chapter now.**

**Question though: I had to Google "How to write a kissing scene"..**

**Is it okay? I've never written that stuff before.**

**Chapter Three: Confessions**

Fiyero and Elphaba pulled away instantly at the sound of her scream. They stepped away from each other, blushing furiously.

"W-what are you doing, Scarecrow? Who is she?" Dorothy asked timidly.

"I'm the Wick-" Elphaba began, but Fiyero cut her off.

"Her name is Elphaba."

It was then that Fiyeo realized the situation he'd been caught in. "We- we were just..." He was at a loss for words.

Elphaba scoffed, noticing the expression on the young girl's face. "Fiyero, I think she knows what we were doing."

"Who's Fiyero?" Dorothy questioned. *This day just keeps getting more and more confusing,* she thought.

"Uh... Well, that would be me." Fiyero raised his hand in the air. "That's my name."

"Oh," was Dorothy's reply. "Well then, Elphaba, my name is Dorothy. By the looks of it, I assume you already know Scarec- I mean Fiyero." Elphaba fidgeted on her feet a little when she said that.

"Now, if you will please excuse me, I'd really like to go back to sleep now. We will talk in the morning." And with that, she fell back asleep.

Elphaba and Fiyero stood there for a moment in an awkward silence. It was Elphaba who broke it as she sat down on the ground. Fiyero sat with her.

"Yero, how in Oz are you still alive? I thought you were..." She trailed, off not wanting to say the word. It was as if saying it would kill him right there on the spot.

"It was because of you, Fae! I don't know what you did, but I DO know that one second, the back of my shirt was being tacked to a pole and guns were being pointed at me. The next thing I know, I'm a scarecrow and the Gale Force looks all confusified. Then, they talked a while and decided to just go back to the Emerald City, tell the Wizard I was dead," Fiyero answered honestly.

After he said that, he pulled Elphaba into a hug.

"That was a really dark time for me, Yero," she said.

"You have no idea how bad it was. How bad it still is. I almost went mentally deranged, possibly bipolar, and I may have gotten into a huge fight with Glinda. Oz, I don't even know if she'd speak to either of us now... It was about you. The fight, I mean. She was devastated when you said you'd be coming with me. Heartbroken. I think I saw tears when I said something stupid that I really shouldn't have said. Then she slapped me, and I sort of slapped her back and cackled maniacally.. Then you and your Gale Force troupe came.. I'm positive you know what happened next, what with your whole "Let the green girl go" thing and all. I really screwed up, Fiyero. Running away with me is by far probably the dumbest thing you've ever done. I'm not worth it. All I ever do is cause commotions- no, wait. I've said it before: I don't cause commotions, I AM one. And you can't take it back, anything you've done. And now that girl knows about us, and I-"

Fiyero kissed her to get her to stop rambling, as well as another reason, but that one is pretty obvious.

"Fae, chill out, please," Fiyero said as he pulled away. "Running away with you is in no way whatsoever stupid. I've said it before and I'll say it again: You. *kiss* Are. *kiss* Worth. *kiss* It. *kiss*

"I was an idiot back then, Fae. Ever since that day with the Lion Cub, I knew that you were something special. You saw that I was unhappy, that there was more to me than just that "Dancing Through Life" crap I used to worship. And you were right. I was miserable. Not even my parents saw through that façade. You were, and are to this day, the only one who ever pointed it out. And you have no idea how much I thank you for it. That day, I realized something huge... Well, I'll just come out and say it. Look, I know that back then, I was still dating Glinda, but that day, I realized that I didn't want to. Not anymore, not ever. Because I... I knew I was in love with someone else: You. I love you. There I said it. I love you, I love you, I love you, Elphaba Melena Thropp Soon-To-Be-Tiggular, I love you more than life itself. I love you more than my mother's cooking, and that's saying a lot. I love you more than anything in the entire world. I spent three whole years searching incessantly for you, and it was NOT for nothing. Because I found you. And now, we're here together again, and-"

"Just shut up and kiss me already." Elphaba cut him off this time.

"Well how can I refuse a request like that?" Fiyero joked, and gladly complied.

"I uh.. I love you too, you know. I'm not good with saying things like this.. I love you though. I love you more than my own cooking, which, if I do say so myself, is also a lot. I can't think of anything I love more than you. It's not easy for me to express it all the time, but just always know that I love you and I will try my best to always be there to help you or protect you, Oz forbid, if you should need it. I'm yours forever. I will always be right with you, by your side. We'll go through everything together, one step at a time." Elphaba told him. She realized then that she had been leaning closer to him the entire time she said that, as if anticipating a certain something.

She looked into Fiyero's bright blue eyes. They glistened in the pale light that shone on his face. They were beautiful- probably one of his best features. The color of his eyes reminded Elphaba of a clear blue lake, calm and determined.

Suddenly, Fiyero cupped Elphaba's face with his hands. The look in his eyes now was one of intensity, almost threatening.

Elphaba was scared by this for a moment, before she realized what he was about to do.

He closed the space in between them, and she melted into his kiss. After a few seconds though, he pulled away.

"What was that for?" Elphaba asked breathlessly.

"Because I can." was Fiyero's simple reply.

"Well I guess that means we can do this too." Elphaba said, laying down next to him on the ground. She fell asleep later, after she and Fiyero talked for a little while. Fiyero eventually drifted off to sleep. Although he didn't need it to live, he was still capable of falling asleep.

They stayed there like that until the end of the night, Elphaba wrapped in Fiyero's arms. That night was probably the best that Elphaba had slept since she was at Shiz.

Little did she and the others know, they were in for quite a rude awakening.

**AN: And when Dorothy introduced herself to Elphaba, I wanted so badly to have her say, "I'm Gale. Dorothy Gale." I just had the strongest urge to do that.. **

**Fourth chapter will hopefully be up soon.. I still need to write it though... **

**First Sleeping Beauty show tomorrow! Wish me luck**!


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: Is my name Winnie Holzman, Lyman Frank Baum, or Stephen Schwartz? No. That means I don't own Wicked or The Wizard Of Oz, despite my wish to. But don't we all want to own it? I know I do. I just don't. Like I said, there's a reason it's called FAN Fiction.**

**AN: Hey everyone! So testing is finally over at my school! Now just finals are left! Opening night for my show went GREAT! We had a full house and the kids LOVED it! **

**Sorry I haven't been on in a while! What with everything going on, I was really busy. I didn't really have time to write this week so I was scrambling last night and this morning to finish the chapter so I could get it out to you guys!**

**I'd really like to wish a happy birthday to BlueD! Well, belated birthday I guess haha. You have the same birthday as one of my best friends! I'm dedicating this chapter to you as a late birthday present! And also, because you all had to wait so long for this chapter, I tried to make it really long. I hope you guys enjoy it!**

**Chapter Four: My Dear Old Friend**

When Dorothy woke up the next morning, it was still quite dark out. The fire had gone out sometime earlier that night, and Scarecrow was nowhere to be found. Or, at least that's what Dorothy thought.

She stood up quickly, but lost her balance and tripped backward, over the log and onto the forest floor. That was when Elphaba stirred a bit in her sleep, and Fiyero subconsciously held her tighter in his arms.

Dorothy had heard this movement, but didn't realize what it was. She regained her footing and stood up to look for Toto, who had disappeared sometime while she was sleeping.

As Dorothy was walking quietly, she almost tripped over a mass of bodies on the ground. She immediately recognized one of them as Scarecrow's- or was that his name? Dorothy wasn't sure. Anyhow, she didn't know who the second person was, although Dorothy DID know it was female. Scarecrow was laying on the ground with a woman in his arms.

And the most curious thing of all: this woman, as unbelievable as it may seem, had a greenish tint to her skin- one might call it emerald. Dorothy didn't think anything of this, as she thought it was just a trick of the lighting, and went back to looking for Toto. She decided it would be best to ask questions once they all were woken up.

Having no luck finding Toto, Dorothy went off to go find breakfast. Not only was she hungry, but she wanted to have a good first impression on the girl that might be joining their little adventure quite soon. The girl who obviously was involved romantically with Scarecrow in some way.

While she did that, Fiyero woke up next to Elphaba, his heart skipping a beat when he realized that the night before was the first night he'd ever held her in her arms while they slept- the first time he'd told her he loved her. Their first night together period. He ran his fingers through his hair and kissed Elphaba on the cheek to try to wake her up.

His attempt failed, so instead he kissed her full on the lips to wake her up. That did the trick.

"I think I could get used to being waken up like this everyday..." Elphaba muttered sleepily, kissing him back.

"Well that can be arranged." Fiyero told her, pulling away a few seconds later. He looked around and noticed something: Dorothy was gone. Then he realized another thing: Dorothy and Elphaba didn't know each other, and it was rumored that Dorothy killed Elphaba's sister. That wouldn't end well at all.

And Dorothy was heading to see the Wizard... Also not good.

*Oz, is everything going smoothly or what?* Fiyero thought to himself.

He stood up and held a hand out to Elphaba, which she took and pulled herself up.

"Where's the girl?" Elphaba asked. So she had noticed too.

*Yes, Fiyero this is going so very well,* he thought. Yet another thing he noticed: he and Elphaba hadn't been back together a day yet and her sarcasm was already rubbing off on him.

"I know as much as you do," Fiyero replied and shrugged. And it was true- he had only just woken up. Dorothy was gone when he did.

He sat down on a log, dragging Elphaba with him. She was shivering, so he wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"Oz, I just remembered, Yero. She doesn't know about-"

"She'll have to deal with it." Fiyero cut her off. He knew she was talking about her skin. But he also knew, even in the short while he'd known her, that Dorothy would be understanding of it. Sure, she may ask about it, but only once. After that, she'd let it go.

Elphaba wasn't the only one good at judging a person's character.

A few short minutes later, Dorothy came back with a basket of berries and some apples she had found in a tree by a small pond.

"Oh good, you're up." She said, startling the couple. Elphaba jumped slightly, causing Fiyero to just tighten his grip around her. Elphaba didn't mind, of course. After all, she was freezing cold and he was her boyfriend. *Did I really just say that word? I'll have to talk to Yero about that later.*

"Oh hey! We were just wondering where you'd gone off to!" Fiyero said. "Ummm... Where DID you go?"

"To get food. Not all of us are scarecrows you know. Some of us need food to survive." Dorothy pointed to Elphaba and herself and set the basket on the log nearest her.

"Hi I'm Dorothy. I don't believe we've really properly met," she said, remembering her words from last night. "I think I said it last night, I'm pretty sure you already know him... Soooo..." She was at a loss for words.

"My name is Elphaba Thropp. And yes," she chuckled, "I do know Fiyero. We went to school together three years ago."

*So that's what his name is! I remember now!* Dorothy remembered.

"Oh. Okay then. Umm... Like I said, I brought some food. It looks edible enough I guess... This is just what I could find." Dorothy explained timidly. Then she remembered something else. "Have either of you seen my dog?" They both shook their heads. "Oh okay... I just don't know where he is, and he usually never runs off like that."

"I'm sure he'll show up soon. He can't have gone too far." Fiyero tried to reassure her.

"Please tell me it's not just me that's hungry.." Dorothy said. And as if on cue, Elphaba's stomach growled.

"I'll take that as a yes," Fiyero said, chuckling.

Elphaba took a moment to study the berries that Dorothy had picked.

"These are poisonous." she said. "One of these and you'll be dead within the hour. I've seen it happen." She said.

"Since when did you become such an expert on what is and isn't edible?" Fiyero asked.

"Since I got food poisoning and was this close to death when I ate something I shouldn't have. Since then, I've read everything I can get my hands on about stuff like this. Three years of living on the run and you learn a few things."

"So what DID you eat all those years?" Fiyero asked, horrified at the fact that she had been in a near death situation and he hadn't been there to help her through it.

"Tree bark may not be the tastiest thing ever, but it IS edible, you know." Elphaba said simply.

"But anyway, these berries aren't safe to eat. A friend of mine, an Animal who helped me regularly back when they could, ate one of these by accident when we were hiking through the Gillikin Mountains. We got to the hospital, but they wouldn't accept him because he was an Animal, and they wouldn't let me talk some reason into them because of my skin. He died half an hour later in the waiting room. By then there was nothing I could do," she explained.

"That's horrible!" Dorothy exclaimed. "I feel terrible now. Elphaba, had you not known about these, we all would've died. I'm so sorry."

"No, no it's fine! You didn't know. I would have made the same mistake three years ago! And the apples ARE edible. Unless they've started growing some new poisonous apple in the Vinkus... Fiyero I'm asking you, you know," she nudged him with her elbow, waiting for a reply.

"Unless this is that fairy tale, I don't think there are any poisonous apples in the Vinkus. There better not be anyway. If word got out that the crowned prince of the Vinkus choked on a poison apple, sooo many people would get in a whole lot of trouble," Fiyero said not realizing until after he said it his mistake of giving away the fact that he was a prince.

"Wait, you're a prince? That's so cool!" Dorothy said excitedly.

"Prince Fiyero Zachkerry Tiggular, Crowned Prince of the Vinkus. That's my official title. I hate it though.. Please, just call me Fiyero." He answered her.

"You're middle name is Zachkerry? It fits well. Fiyero Zachkerry Tiggular. I like it."

"Glad to see I have your approval on a name my parents chose 23 years ago." Fiyero joked. Elphaba rolled her eyes.

"So lets eat!" Dorothy said, feeling a bit awkward around the couple. After all, she didn't really know these people, and she felt a bit left out, considering she didn't know anything about this place that was apparently called The Vinkus. Changing the subject would make her feel like she was actually part of the conversation.

They sat there a few minutes in an almost-awkward silence, munching on their apples.

That was when the question came.

"So Elphaba, I hope you don't mind my asking- I'm just curious- but why are you.. Uhhhhhh.. Well, green?" Dorothy asked tentatively.

"I don't really know. I was just born this way," was Elphaba's answer. "I've always been green."

"Oh." Dorothy said, at a loss for words. "So is that rumor true? That you melt when you touch water? Because that doesn't really seem plausible.." Dorothy had pieced it together. She knew from what some of the Munchkins had told her that there was another Wicked Witch. One person had even told her that "her green skin is but an outward manifestorium of her wickedness."

*Whatever does "manifestorium" mean?* Dorothy asked herself. Anyway, she figured, how many green people did you see everyday? Not really any. Why should Oz be any different? It's not. So Dorothy knew that Elphaba must have been the Witch of the West that the Munchkins kept making up rumors about. She didn't seem Wicked though. *I wonder how she got that title..* Dorothy thought to herself.

"That's one of the rumors? Oz, people are so empty-headed they'll believe anything!" Elphaba exclaimed.

"That's exactly what I said!" Fiyero told her.

"No," Elphaba chuckled. "It's not true. Any other rumors I can clear up for you?" She asked.

"The others are too strange. There's no way they could be true. I've heard you speak about talking animals though.. What is that all about?" Dorothy inquired. She hadn't any idea as to what Animals were, anyway.

"Oh they're not animals. They're Animals- with a capital A. They're just like humans, only they have the appearance of a regular animal. They walk, talk, act just like we do. But they get discriminated against because they look different than humans. I'm an Animal rights activist- that's why-"

Fiyero cut her off. "That's why so many of her friends are Animals." Elphaba rolled her eyes, realizing what he was doing. He didn't want Dorothy knowing she was wanted throughout all Oz. If she did, Oz only knows what she would do.

"Why so many WERE Animals," she corrected him. "They're all dead now."

"Oh I'm so sorry!" Dorothy said, as she was. Having a limited number of friends in Kansas, she knew what it was like when you lost all the friends you DID have.

Elphaba told her it was fine, and they went along making small talk for a while. That is, until they heard a rustling noise coming from a nearby bush.

"Oh Toto! I was worried sick about you! Where did you run off to, you silly dog?" Dorothy spoke to her dog as he ran out of the bushes.

Everything was fine until Dorothy noticed something silver in his mouth.

"Do either of you know what this is?" she asked the couple. Fiyero shook his head, but Elphaba recognized it instantly.

"I wish I could say I don't know, but yes. I know what it is." She said vaguely.

"Then what is it?" Dorothy was becoming a bit frantic now. The silver thing in Toto's mouth looked like it could belong to a human, only it was metal. So a robot maybe? Dorothy could only imagine.

"Fiyero, it looks like we're about to have a reunion with an old, uh... friend of ours.." Elphaba trailed off, not wanting to explain it all. She knew Boq was probably mad at her. She knew that Nessarose would have told him that it was she who had turned him to tin. But Boq didn't know the whole story. Had Nessa not shrunken his heart, maybe... No. She wouldn't think about that now. Look for him now, explain later. It was too much to process in a few short minutes, even for Elphaba.

"Really? Who?" Fiyero asked, excited now. He didn't remember having many friends back in Shiz. There was Elphaba of course, Galinda, Boq, Avaric, and he'd like to think of Nessa as his friend, but he wasn't entirely positive about that one.

"I think you'll find out soon enough." Elphaba said, purposely frustrating him.

**HAPPY BIRTHDAY! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately I can't afford to own Wicked. One day. One day I will. I'll get you yet Winnie Holzman and Stephen Schwartz and Gregory Maguire!**

**AN: Hey everyone! So I'm REALLY REALLY REEEEAAALLY sorry I haven't updated recently. Feel free to give me virtual punches in the face or whatever else- I deserve it. I have, however, been on. I've been reading and reviewing some of your stories- most of which I LOVE!**

**And just because I know that she's probably been waiting for this chapter less patiently than most of you, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Maddy-Fae! Go read her stories! Yero My Hero is a personal favorite :-)**

**The links aren't working by the way.. I'm sorry :-/**

**I rewrote this chapter I think five times... Hope it's good... Writer's block is a female dog.**

**You guys will finally get some more drama next chapter! I have it all planned out in intricate detail exactly what I want to go on, so hopefully Chapter Six will be up soon... I'm just really busy, more so than I'd like to be, but that's life for ya.**

** Enjoy!**

**Chapter Five: Forgiving**

Elphaba and Fiyero walked hand in hand, Dorothy trailing behind them, while Toto lead them to where he found Boq's arm. They'd been walking for hours. Dorothy finally understood why it must have taken her dog such a long time to get back.

"Are we there yet, Toto? I'm so tired!" Dorothy exclaimed. She had been talking to her dog the whole time, as if expecting him to talk back. Elphaba guessed that this was because she didn't have many friends back home, as Dorothy had told her.

Elphaba knew what that was like, so she let the girl do what she pleased. Little did Dorothy know, Elphaba and Fiyero were whispering to each other and weren't really listening to anything Dorothy said.

It was a bit reminiscent of how they used to act with Glinda, which Elphaba realized quickly.

"...So I'm getting a bit curious as to how we're going to fix our, uh... problem.." Elphaba said quietly to Fiyero.

"What problem?" Fiyero got confused. He didn't notice any problems. In fact, he thought that as of now, their relationship couldn't be better.

"Oh come on, Yero. Don't tell me you're not sick of it either. You're a scarecrow. Surely when we kiss, it's not the same as it was that one night when you were human. I want to fix that for you."

Fiyero thought this over for a minute. She was right: it hadn't been the same, kissing Elphaba when he was a scarecrow. He couldn't feel her lips on his, although he knew when they were pressed against his. He was sure that Elphaba could feel him, his face (even if it IS made of burlap). He thought it was really nice of her to think of that, to think of how he might want to feel the same way she does when they kiss.

"I didn't know you knew that it was different for me, what I feel when we kiss. I know you're there, but I don't really feel it completely. It's kinda hard to explain.. Only, I thought you said spells were irreversible?" Fiyero thought out loud, subconsciously running his hand through where his hair would have been. He noticed this, and blushed (who knew it was possible for a scarecrow?) when he realized he didn't have regular hair.

Elphaba chuckled. "They are," she said. "But if I could find another spell, one that might bring you back to be your old self, who knows? I'll check in The Grimmerie as soon as I get a chance."

She knew it was unlikely, but if there was even a possibility of bringing Fiyero back and turning him into a human again, she'd look for it.

Four long hours later, they were still following Toto to the place where he'd found Boq.

"Hey, guys?" Fiyero said suddenly. The girls (and oddly enough, Toto) stopped and looked at him. "We should stop and stay here for the night. It's been a really long day; I'm sure we're all tired. I can keep watch while you sleep."

"Yero, I think we're almost there. It's going to take us just as long, if not longer, to get back to the Yellow Brick Road. Why stop now when we're so close already?" Elphaba protested. Yes, it had been a long day- she would most definitely agree to that. But there was no reason to stop pushing forward when they were probably minutes away from their destination. *That and getting the whole "Boq probably hates me" thing out of the way,* Elphaba thought.

As if reading her mind, Toto barked and ran off. A few minutes later, he came back, an oil can in his mouth.

Elphaba gave Fiyero her award-winning death glare, although he could see that she didn't mean it- she was smirking. "What did I tell you, Mr. Lazy? I knew we were close!" Elphaba exclaimed. Fiyero just rolled his eyes, smiling.

Dorothy took the oil can from Toto's mouth, wiping the dog slobber off of it carefully with an unused tissue she found in her pocket.

"Come on, let's go. Obviously there's only a short walk left. After we find this, uhhh... person, THEN we can rest. I promise," Elphaba told Fiyero, who was still reluctant to follow the girls and Toto to the spot where Boq would be found. All he wanted was to make sure that they rested.

"Fine," Fiyero finally agreed. The corner of Elphaba's mouth twisted into a full on smirk. "I knew you'd agree." She said smugly.

The three of them followed Toto into a clearing, where, standing in the middle, was a short metal person. His hands were clutching an axe, which was pointing towards the ground. He had an expression of shock on his face, which he seemed to be unable to move.

Suddenly, a sound came from the man. "Errl," it sounded like.

"What?" Fiyero asked, but was shushed by Elphaba.

"Shhhhh! Listen." She told him quietly.

"Errl!" Boq tried to shout, but his words were still unintelligible.

"Here, maybe if we put some oil on his mouth he could tell us what he's trying to say?" Dorothy offered.

"Didn't think of that.." Fiyero agreed.

"Did you think at all?" joked Elphaba, who was then elbowed in the stomach by Fiyero.

Dorothy took the oil can and poured some over the man's mouth.

He moved his mouth around for a few moments, trying to get it functioning again.

"Oh thank you," he said. "Thank you so much! That was exactly what I was saying to get: oil! I'm a bit stuck still, though." Boq exclaimed.

Dorothy put some oil on his arms, legs, and neck so that he could move around. He tried walking forward and moving his arms around to get them back to working again.

"Thank you for saving me, Miss! Oh, where are my manners? I am the Tinman."

"My name is Dorothy Gale. Oh, and these are my friends: Fi-"

Elphaba cut her off, knowing that Boq would recognize their names immediately. She knew he would see who she was right away, being the way she is and all. But Boq didn't know Fiyero was a scarecrow; she could still save him.

"Scarecrow. This is Scarecrow, and my name is Elphaba... although I'm betting you already knew that.."

"You!" Boq shouted angrily. "You did this to me! You were the one who turned me to tin, you cold-blooded, heartless witch! Why, I oughta-" he raised his axe in the air, aiming for Elphaba.

"Boq! I was saving your life!" Elphaba yelled, scared that he actually would chop her to pieces if he had the chance to, not knowing the truth.

Fiyero and Dorothy watched in confusion, not having known what went on between the two people fighting before them.

"Huh? No, you witch, you tried to kill me!" Boq was persistent, completely convinced of his accusation against Elphaba.

"Boq, listen to me, please. Let me explain." Elphaba pleaded. Boq reluctantly lowered the axe.

"Okay," Elphaba exhaled. "Let's start from the beginning:

I went to go see my father; I needed help from him, his support. Only, when I came, Nessa was there, telling me Father was dead. She got angry at me, told me that I "fly around Oz rescuing Animals I've never even met" and that I never thought to use my powers to help her. So I did."

"I used magic to fix her legs so that she could finally walk, and it worked. She got excited, sat back down in her chair, and called you into the room."

"I remember that part," Boq said. "I remember she called for me, and I ran in thinking she wanted more tea or something."

"And then after that, she stood up, showing you that she could walk. You got excited and told her that you wouldn't matter to her any longer. You said you wanted to go visit Glinda, to proclaim your love for her... What you never saw though, was that Nessarose was obsessed with you."

"Huh?" Boq questioned. Elphaba was right, he had never seen that.

"She thought she was in love with you. Really though, she was just in love with the idea of you. More like in love with the idea of being in love with anyone, and her brain chose you as a victim for her manifestation of this obsession. She only wanted to love and be loved back, but no one ever gave her the chance to do that until you came along. She kept you there in Munchkinland so that she knew you would never leave her- you wouldn't be able to and she knew that. So when you said you were leaving, she got angry. Very angry..." Elphaba trailed off.

"You said something like, "I lost my heart to Glinda the moment I first saw her," which made Nessarose even more angry and hurt and frustrated. She told you that you'd lose your heart to her, and stole The Grimmerie out of my hands. I didn't know she could decipherate what the spells meant, but she must have been able to. Only, she said the spell wrong, causing you to literally lose your heart."

Dorothy and Fiyero gasped, both of them having been listening to Elphaba's explanation. She glanced at them both for a fraction of a second, then went back to explaining the situation to Boq.

"You started hyperventilating, and it got worse and worse. I couldn't reverse the spell, so I found another one that I knew would save you. At least it would keep you alive, and able to live without a physical heart. That's why you're made of tin now. That's how I saved your life. I don't know what happened after I left, but Nessa must have blamed it on me, considering your reaction to seeing me a few minutes ago.." Elphaba said.

"Wow. I mean, wow. Sh- she did blame it on you. She told me that you turned me to tin of your own free will and that you left afterwards, that you were more wicked than she. I didn't know what to believe. I guess I had to believe what she had said- it was the only thing I had to go on. And I started to blame it on you. I'm sorry. Thank you for saving me."

"Nothing I haven't heard before. It's fine Boq, really. And you're welcome." Elphaba told him.

**Oh and I keep forgetting to thank everyone who's been reviewing! THANK YOU! You make me smile! The more reviews I get, the faster I'll try to update! ;-)**

**Also, just because I'm too lazy to go in and rewrite this part in the story, lets all pretend that they got the arm attached back to Boq's torso..**

**Oh and happy May 4th! May the fourth be with you! ;-)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: No. Someone wished at 11:11 that no one's wishes would ever come true. Then, when I wished at 11:11 to own Wicked, it didn't come true. People can be cruel sometimes.. ;-P**

**AN: Hey! So it's been five days since I last posted... Sorry.. I just knew exactly what I wanted to happen in this chapter, and it turned out to be longer than I thought it'd be.. And it took five days to write. **

**I really hope you guys like this chapter.. I wasn't too sure about some parts in it. I don't usually cuss, but Fiyero is 23 years old. He's not gonna act like a little old lady, all prim and proper. He's gonna be a macho manly man sometimes, and sometimes he's gonna cuss. Deal with it. **

**Thank you, my pretties, for reviewing! I love you all! You make me smile when I'm having a bad day (and even when I'm having a good one!) and I love you guys for it. Thank you!**

**Love it? Hate it? Please let me know! I sent this to one of my friends to read it but she isn't replying, so I'm just posting it anyway.. Probably not the best idea, but whatever. I have rehearsal in an hour and I don't wanna waste anymore time than I have to getting this chapter up. So enjoy!**

**Chapter Six: Human Again..?**

After Elphaba told Boq the story, it started to rain, hard. This wasn't just the regular kind of rain you Earthlings get, either. No sir. This was Ozian rain. The type of rain that blows up and down and sideways and diagonally. It's warm, it's freezing cold, it's hot as down below, all at once. Lets just say it was not pleasant to be stuck in, especially if you're outside.

They found some shelter in a clearing, when Elphaba found a spell that would shield an area from the rain, so they set up camp for the night as Fiyero had wanted from the beginning.

"Excuse me, Mr. Tinman?" Dorothy asked. Boq looked up in answer. "Why do Miss Elphaba and Fi-Scarecrow," Dorothy remembered that Elphaba didn't want his identity to be spoken of around their new friend for whatever reason,"call you 'Boq'?"

"Well, Dorothy, that's my real name. I think Elphaba explained it clear enough- I wasn't always made of tin. I was human, like you. Boq is my name. Boq Adriette."

"Really?" Dorothy's eyes widened. "I mean, of course 'Really,' but, it's just hard to imagine you as a human. I can't really see it.." She tried to imagine him as a human... "Nope. Can't see it," Dorothy said.

Boq shrugged. "I guess you'll never know... Unless there's some way that magic spell book can turn me back.." He glanced at Elphaba, who had been lost in thought while subconsciously staring at Fiyero.

Realizing she was being spoken to, she jumped, blushing. "Oh, uhhh... I don't know really. I mean, I could always look for another spell if you REALLY want it that badly, but it would be best to do it when it stops raining. I'm already tired enough as it is; using my powers now will just drain me, and I won't have any strength for tomorrow. I can still look, though. I've gotten used to little sleep over the years- some might think I'm an insomniac. But if you want me to, I'll look." Elphaba offered.

Fiyero noticed seconds later her exhausted state as she started to lose her posture and her eyelids started drooping. "Fae, go to sleep. We'll find the spell tomorrow, I promise. Right now, you don't need to be wasting the little amount of energy you have left." She seemed hesitant. "Trust me, you'll thank me tomorrow." Fiyero attempted.

Finally, Elphaba gave into sleep, although it was restless and not good at all. But it was still sleep.

She woke up the next morning in Fiyero's arms, just like the night before. It was almost inaudible, but she could hear whispering from across their little campsite.

"...Why are they...?" A male voice- Boq.

"As far as I know, they do this on a regular basis... give them until the sun comes up...needs her rest from what I can tell..." A female voice- Dorothy.

*That's nice of her,* Elphaba thought. *Thinking to give us more time to sleep in..*

She took this offer with open arms and fell back asleep.

This sleep however, plagued Elphaba with nightmares. She'd been having them since they put Fiyero up on that pole, and had only gotten worse since then. It was a bit better now, considering she knew he was still alive, and that he could hold her in his arms when she slept, but the nightmares were still there.

Elphaba woke in a cold sweat, to the sound of Fiyero's voice. "Fae, are you alright? You had me so worried there!" He said frantically, relieved that she seemed to be okay.

"I'm fine, Yero, I promise. What happened?" She asked, not really understanding what had gone on.

"Well, you wouldn't stop tossing and turning in your sleep. You were crying, and muttering my name. You said something like, 'No not him! Yero I'm not leaving without you! Fiyero!' And I got really scared for a moment. You started shaking, and crying really hard, and then it just stopped, which scared me even more. You just laid limp there, and I didn't know what to do.." He explained. "Do you remember what you dreamt about?"

"It was that night, when they took you away and hung you on that Oz- forsaken pole. Yero, you have absolutely no idea how painful it was, watching you being taken away like that. I didn't even see what they did to you, but I'm glad I didn't. Oz, I'm just glad I got to Kiamo Ko in time.." Elphaba trailed off.

"Trust me, we both are grateful of that. If it hadn't been for you, I would be dead right now. Thank you, Fae. I owe you my life." Fiyero told her sincerely. "And I hope to be able to give you more than just that," he added.

"I love you," she said, kissing him deeply before pulling away. "Where are Boq and Dorothy?" She asked him, hoping to Lurline that Boq hadn't seen that.

"Well, they WERE going to get food for later," Fiyero looked around, "but I think they're back now." He pointed to Elphaba's left.

Boq was staring at the couple, jaw hanging down low. Dorothy elbowed him in the side, which was effective because it caused him to close his mouth. "I told you, they do this stuff all the time! Don't they make such a cute couple?" She asked Boq.

"Yeah, uh-huh, sure.." he replied, shaking the girl off of his arm as he stepped forward. "Um... Elphaba?" He asked. She looked at him in response.

"Didn't you tell me back at Shiz that you were in love with Fiyero?"

Elphaba blushed, practically being able to _feel_ Fiyero grin from ear to ear next to her. "Uh... Yeah.." She replied.

"So will you please tell me why you just told Scarecrow you loved him, then continued to kiss him on the lips for more than just a few seconds?"

"Oh... Umm... Well-" she was cut off.

"Because I'm Fiyero, Boq.." Fiyero told him, which made his eyes bulge and his mouth drop open again.

"Really? Wow... Small world.." He trailed off.

"You could say that.." Elphaba said. Then she changed the subject. "Now, either we eat and stay here for a while, risk getting caught by the Gale Force, and look for spells to change the both of you... OR, we get back on the Yellow Brick Road and keep walking to wherever it is we're going. Honestly, I think I'd rather stay here a while."

"I nominate Elphaba as Leader of our little group here," Fiyero said, agreeing with her. Personally, he really wanted to be human again. He missed sleep and food, and Elphaba's lips, even if that was just a plus.

"I second that." Said Boq, and an "I third it" came from Dorothy soon after.

"It's settled then. We'll stay here until a few hours after lunch, then leave for the Yellow Brick Road, maybe set up camp for the night, about five ozometeres from the road." Elphaba made the plans.

About an hour or so later, they all sat at their campsite. Elphaba was pouring over The Grimmerie, Fiyero sitting next to her and watching over her shoulder. Dorothy and Boq were playing some sort of card game with a bunch of leaves they had found earlier.

"Hey Fae?" Fiyero asked quietly, so as not to let the others hear them. Elphaba looked up at him. "Why didn't you tell me you were having nightmares?"

"You would've started hovering. I'm okay, Yero, really. They're getting better. It's just going to take some time. I promise they're better though, especially now that you're here," she explained. He kissed her on the cheek, and they went back to looking at the book.

A few minutes later, Elphaba stood up. "I think I've found something. It may only work for one of you, and I'll have to do the spell over again tomorrow. It may work partly on the both of you, it may not even work at all. I don't know. I DO know, however, that it more than likely is harmless if something should go wrong, so it's worth a try."

"More than likely?" Boq asked, unsure of what that meant.

"Yes more than likely. I've never used this spell before- it could turn you into a tree for all I know, but we have to at least try! It's either this or you can continue life without a heart-" she pointed at Boq, "and without three of five major human senses," she pointed at Fiyero.

The boys agreed, and stood up, opposite Elphaba. She started muttering the spell under her breath and turned to face the two.

Suddenly, a green and blue light flashed around Fiyero and Boq, enveloping them in it until the spell had been fully cast and Elphaba stopped speaking.

"Well? Did it work?" Fiyero asked anxiously.

"You could say that," Elphaba replied, trying (and ultimately failing) to stifle a laugh.

"What? What's so funny?" Boq inquired, getting irritated at his former best friend.

"Oh my!" Dorothy exclaimed, laughing harder than Elphaba was.

"Fae, this isn't funny! What are you laughing about?" Fiyero asked.

"Um... Maybe you should see for yourself.." Elphaba replied, conjuring up a mirror and handing it to him. Fiyero looked into it, his eyes widening. He started laughing, too.

"Okay, so maybe it IS pretty funny," he said, touching one of the small, blue diamonds on his forehead. "But what happened to Boq that was so- oh." He cut himself off, suddenly realizing what had happened to his friend.

Fiyero handed the mirror to his friend, grinning. Boq looked at his reflection and smiled. Only that smile turned into a frown when he still didn't see what could be so funny.

"I still don't understand what you all are on about. I may be a human again, but nothing else. Nothing is wrong with me or anything... Other than the usual," Boq joked.

"How's the weather up there?" Dorothy hinted, indicating his head. Boq only furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Guys, lets spare him right now. I think he's gone through quite enough today," Elphaba said. "Boq, we're trying to tell you that you're almost as tall as me now. You're just above where Glinda would stand."

"Really?" His face brightened. "YES!" He did a little dance, and then sat down on a rock, embarrassed.

The three others chuckled, and went back to their former positions. Dorothy was teaching Boq how to play Dot-To-Dot, and Fiyero sat on the ground, holding Elphaba in his arms.

"Thank you, Fae. I really missed you. I mean, obviously you're here and you're with me and everything, but I missed the feel of you. Even when we were at Shiz, and our touch was very limited, I could still feel you. As a scarecrow, I felt nothing. You could throw me at a chainsaw and I wouldn't be able to tell unless I saw it. Thank you." Fiyero whispered, kissing her afterwards. "I love you so much."

"And I love you. You're welcome, of course. I missed you too." Elphaba blushed, glancing away to think for a moment.

"I love the diamonds, though. It may have been funny at first, but now I just think they're really beautiful. They really make your eyes pop, too," she smiled.

"Really?" Fiyero asked insecurely. "Because I wasn't sure what you'd think about them. I think I know why they're blue diamonds though.." He admitted. Elphaba looked up at him.

"The day Glinda came back from The Emerald City crying, I knew something was up. She explained (very ambiguously, I might add) what had happened, and I mentally kicked myself. I kept telling myself, 'Fiyero, you Oz-damned idiot! You should have kissed her when you had the chance!' From then on, I drew a blue diamond on my arm every day to count how long I'd been without you.." He rolled up his sleeves to show rows and rows of diamonds on his arms.

Elphaba gave him a knowing look. "Fiyero, you couldn't have just drawn these. They would've worn off and-" she gasped, shaking her head. "No, Yero. You didn't."

"Okay... So maaaaybe they're tattoos.." He gave in. Elphaba slapped his arm. "Ow!" Fiyero shouted, which caused Dorothy and Boq to look over at the other two for a second.

Elphaba spoke softer this time."Tattoos, Fiyero? Really? Couldn't you find some other way of counting the days, like... Oh I don't know, a calendar? Or making a tally mark every day on a piece of butcher paper? You could've done anything else! Anything! And you chose tattoos?" Elphaba wasn't mad, just confused. She couldn't understand how someone, especially Fiyero, could go as far as getting hundreds of tiny tattoos for her, when he could easily have done something else. She knew Fiyero was crazy (and that he had a tendency to act before he thought), but she never knew he would go that far for her.

"It was the first thing I thought of.." Fiyero explained. "I remembered you saying back at Shiz that your favorite color was blue, and your favorite shape was a diamond, and I wanted to have the tattoos symbolize you. So that's what I chose... Are you mad?" He looked apprehensive, never knowing what Elphaba would do next.

"No! No, of course not! I just don't understand... I don't understand how someone, especially you, would go so far as to get hundreds of tattoos all over yourself, for someone like me.." Elphaba admitted.

"Fae, I would do ANYTHING for you. You have to realize that. I know, I know, it was a rash decision that I made and I could've done anything else. But in a way, I'm glad I decided on tattoos... It makes me feel like your not as... alone. We all have our differences. Yours are just more obvious than other peoples'. Now I have an obvious difference, too. I got so many of these, I had to start putting them on my chest. The last one I put on myself was the one I did the day you turned me into a scarecrow," Fiyero told her, not wanting to remind her of what else happened that day.

"A very rash decision indeed, Master Tiggular," Elphaba joked, ignoring the twinge of pain she felt when he mentioned the day that had been giving her nightmares for days now. "But you make it sound like being green is a good thing. On the contrary- we both know what it's caused me. What it's caused for all of Oz. It most certainly is not a good thing."

"I happen to love the green. It suits you, really," Fiyero said, blushing slightly. He meant it, too. He couldn't imagine what Elphaba would be like if she weren't green. She wouldn't be the same strong, independent, caring, confident woman she was now, that's for sure. If not her Elphaba, Fiyero would still be in college, still dancing through life, still dating around.

It was Elphaba's turn to blush. "You can't mean that. You can't. No one else seems to..."

"Oh really? How about Glinda, Boq, Dorothy, Doctor Dillamond? Your sister seemed to treat you more like a servant than a sister, so I can't really say much about her. But I DO know that there is a whole string of people who love you for who you are, no matter what you look like. Your skin is what's made you the person you are today. Just think about that." Fiyero countered. Elphaba thought about it for a while.

Her focus was interrupted by Dorothy, however, who hadn't been listening to her and Fiyero's conversation. Instead, she had been playing games with Boq, who seemed bored beyond belief.

"So now that you two are human again, will you still accompany me on my journey? Or will you go back to your own lives? I'm sure you all have things to do.. I don't mind if you leave, I just want to know. Because I don't really know where The Emerald City is.."

"Why are you going to The Emerald City, exactly, Dorothy?" Boq asked. Fiyero kicked himself mentally, hard. He should have realized Elphaba would find out sooner or later- she was much more intelligent than he anyways.

"Glinda the Good- I assume you know her.. I've heard you talk about her- told me that if I go to The Emerald City and meet The Wizard there, he'll help me get back to Kansas."

Elphaba was on her feet before Fiyero could stop her.

** I will repeat my question: Love it? Hate it? Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Why in Oz would I be writing Fanfiction if I owned Wicked? I'd be PUBLISHING my fanfiction if I did. Obviously, that's not happening. So do I own Wicked? No, sir. I do not.**

**AN: I'M REALLY REALLY REALLY REALLY SORRY PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! Virtual abuse is deserved, I know. It's just, I had to rewrite this chapter 25 times (I WAS counting) and I still don't really like it. But, I promised Maddy-Fae that I would post it before Saturday no matter what. So here it is! **

**Do any of you guys ever have chapters that you just don't like for whatever reason? I just want to know; I'm not too keen about this one.. **

**I hope you enjoy it!**

**Chapter Seven: Telling the Truth**

"The Wizard will do nothing for you, Dorothy. I know first hand what he's like. He's a coward, a fraud, and a fool. He's not wonderful. Oz, he's nowhere close. He's cruel and prejudiced and will act like he's not until either he dies or he's caught-whichever comes first. And honestly, I don't care which one does come first, I don't. I just want him out of the way, not having any influential power over _anything_ at all!"

"Now, Fae-" Fiyero started, but was cut off.

"No Fiyero! No! Stop! Look at what he's caused me! What he's caused us! Glinda! Doctor Dillamond! What Horrible Morrible has caused Nessarose! What they've both caused Dorothy! They conned me, Fiyero. They tricked me and they put a false label on my back. You can't erase something like that. Now everyone in Oz thinks I'm this monster of a person- if they even consider me to _be_ a person, all because I wanted to do something right! I'm an unnatural disaster! I cause pain and suffering to everyone close to me, everyone I love. And it's all because of him!" Elphaba stood still for a moment, trying to compose herself. Fiyero wanted to comfort her, but he knew if he did, there was a good chance of him getting injured in the process, so he let her be.

After a few moments, Dorothy asked hesitantly, "Elphaba, what happened?" She never knew that the green woman had gone through so much. She had heard the rumors, of course- that seemed to be all the Munchkins liked to talk about- but she didn't know what was and what wasn't true.

"I went to see the Wizard, same as you want to now Dorothy. I wanted to make good. The discrimination against Animals was at its peak, and I couldn't stand for it; I wanted to make a difference- I still do. I wanted to hold some form of political power so that I could fix things, help people.

One day, a letter came for me saying that I had been awarded an audience with Mr. Wonderful himself. I thought, "This is my chance to finally make a difference in this mess of a world we live in." I dreamed of one day, when everyone would live peacefully and equally. When no one would ever have to live with the fear of rights being stripped away, or losing loved ones, or being treated unfairly because they look different from everyone else. I know what that's like, all that I just mentioned, and I know how painful it can be. I don't want anyone else to have to go through that."

Fiyero got Elphaba to sit back down, and he tightened his grip around her waist, as if that would keep her from running away from him again. Elphaba noticed this gesture and rolled her eyes. The look on her face said it all: 'I'm not going anywhere.' That made Fiyero grin, and Elphaba rolled her eyes again, then turned back to her conversation.

"When I went to the Emerald City, I took Glinda with me. She had been upset about something before I left on the train there, so I told her she should come with me, get away from what she was upset about," Elphaba explained, glancing at Fiyero for a second. He understood what that meant, and sheepishly stared at his feet.

"I got to the palace, and met with the Wizard. He told me, before anything happened I had to prove myself. He said that he wanted me to perform a levitation spell on one of his monkeys, Chistery, so that he could fly like a bird. I did the spell, only it hurt Chistery really badly, and he sprouted wings. Then, the Wizard uncovered a giant cage with other winged monkeys in it. They said something about the monkeys flying around Oz, reporting any sort of Animal activity and acting as spies to him and Madame Morrible, which is something I couldn't stand for. So I ran. I took the Grimmerie with me and ran away."

"Who's Madame Morrible and what is the Grimmerie?" Dorothy asked. *Oh right, she's not from around here,* Elphaba remembered.

"Madame Morrible is the Wizard's Press Secretary. She's also the former headmistress at Shiz, the college we went to. And the Grimmerie," Elphaba explained, pulling the large book out of her bag, "is this book here. It's a magic spell book, the most powerful one there is... And I'm kind of the most powerful person... So you can imagine the amount of damage that I could do with this.." Elphaba glanced down.

"So what happened after you ran away from them?" Boq asked, more out of changing the subject than curiosity (although that _was_ one reason he asked.)

"I asked Glinda to come with me, to think of what kind of greatness we could do together. I told her that we were unlimited, unstoppable together. But she chose her path, and I chose mine. Horrible Morrible announced to all Oz that I was "wicked," and they all believed it. The rumor mill was at an all-time high in employees and products, and no one really cared or did anything about it, because no one knew the truth. No one besides Glinda or myself, anyway. She became Glinda the Good, I became the Wicked Witch of the West, and we went our separate ways. I joined the Resistance and helped all the Animals I possibly could, while she became one of the most important figureheads in Oz,trying to keep up the morale of every Ozian. She didn't have any real power, of course. I mean, she could conjure up bubbles and insignificant things like that, but she wasn't like me. She still isn't.." Elphaba trailed off, thinking about her old friend.

Fiyero pull "I miss her too, Fae. It's okay."

"Yero I haven't seen her in almost four years- not in person, anyway.. I probably miss her more than anyone else. And if not, then I've at least missed her for the longest. I think the only person who might actually miss her more than me, is you Boq." Elphaba nodded to her friend, who blushed immediately after she said that. He stared down at his feet, giving Elphaba the confirmation that what she had said was true.

They sat in companionable silence for a few moments, all thinking about their previous conversation. It was Dorothy who broke it.

"So what do we do? I mean, is there any possible way I can get home now," she asked. Dorothy didn't mind staying in Oz with her new friends, but she missed her family terribly, and she didn't know what would happen next.

"Reality or Imaginary Answer?" Fiyero asked her.

"Um... Imaginary..?" Dorothy answered, a bit confused at his question.

"We stay in hiding and do absolutely nothing, the Wizard and Morrible are eaten by The Evil League of Evil Elves, and Glinda takes over. She explains to everyone the truth, which means Elphaba and I can come out of hiding, and there'll be a possibility of you being able to go home. Our lives will be restored (for the most part), and we all live happily ever after. The end." Boq clapped his hands.

"Yero, I'm pretty sure that's not ever going to happen.." Elphaba told him.

"She wanted the Imaginary Answer. I gave her one. Simple as that." He smirked.

"While that may be true, she needs the truth. She deserves that much." Elphaba turned to face the girl.

"Dorothy, there really isn't much we can do, even me. There's a sliver of a possibility of me being able to send you back to Kansas with the Grimmerie, but you must know that spells are permanent once cast. If I accidentally send you to an alternate dimension, or Narnia, or Space, or wherever else, I can't undo it. Obviously, there are ways to bring your family over here... I just don't know what ways those are. I'm perfectly willing to look for a spell that will bring you home (or that will bring home to you), but it's going to take some time." she told her honestly.

Dorothy nodded. "I understand completely. Thank you, Elphaba. You're one of the best friends I've ever had- you all are. Thank you." She hugged the others.

"I just thought of something, well...uhhh... I guess one would call it "Wicked." Elphaba voiced after a while, a hint of a smile threatening to present itself on her face.

"Hmm? What's that?" Fiyero, who had been laying with his head on Elphaba's lap, asked tiredly.

"Well..." Elphaba began, "What if we-" she was cut off by a loud thud that came from a few hundred yards away.

**The Evil League of Evil Elves is an inside joke between my friend and I.. Just in case you were wondering. Hope this makes up for the wait! **

**Oh and you happen to see a oneshot on my profile about God creating Fiyero later, that's an inside joke between Maddy-Fae and I. Feel free to read it when I actually post it, but it probably won't make any sense whatsoever..**

**Thank you, my pretties, for reviewing! (I think I said that exact sentence the last time I updated.. NEW CATCH PHRASE!) Please review more! I really want feedback on this chapter! You make me smile!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I'm not that girl..**

**AN: I am SOOOOOOOOOO SOOOOOOO sorry for the horrendibly long wait you all had to endure for this chapter. I have no real excuse for my absence other than my terrible habit of procrastination and a dreadful case of writer's block. But it's gone, so it's okay!**

**Obviously this whole post-every-other-day thing isn't working, so I've decided that what I'm going to do is write one (or more, depending on my schedule and how things go) chapter a week, and post it before Saturday of that week. I'll try to tell you guys if I need to take a break for a while to get caught up on writing. **

**I sort of left this chapter off with a cliffie (You can thank Maddy-Fae for that ;-p) but I hope you like it! You guys are gonna love (or hate, idk) what I've got planned hehe.**

**I'm going to dedicate this chapter to Maddy-Fae, because she was the one who helped me get rid of my writer's block, and she also inspired the plot for the rest of the story, so kudos to her haha. :-)**

**Oh and thank you my pretties for reviewing! You make me happy!**

**Also (you can stop reading this super long AN here if you want to, unless you actually want to hear about my personal life..) Jungle Book opens Wednesday, so I am very very excited! We just had our last rehearsal tonight, so we're all pretty nervous, but I think it's gonna be a great show haha.**

**Enjoy!**

**Chapter Eight: Trusting**

Fiyero was on his feet immediately, in front of Elphaba like a shield. The others had already stood up, knowing that something was wrong. Fiyero looked around the area, only he didn't see anything.

"What was that?" Boq asked quietly.

"We'll whatever it was, it must've scared Toto a good bit. He's trembling!" Dorothy picked up her dog and began an attempt to calm him.

Elphaba stepped around Fiyero so that she could go look for the area where the sound came from. Only Fiyero had other plans. He grabbed her arm to prevent her from leaving. "Yero, I'll be fine. I promise."

"That's exactly what you said right before you left to go see your sister, and you ended up almost being captured by the Gale Force."

"Yes, and you came in and set me free. Then you got yourself captured and hung on a pole to be tortured to death. I think we both know who wins this one." Elphaba said, smirking. She walked off in the direction of where they had heard the noise, leaving the other three to talk on their own for a while.

She came back a few minutes later. "Nothing but a fallen tree. No need to worry. I do, however, want to get out of here before something possibly life-threatening _does_ happen. For all we know, the Gale Force could be right on our tail. Why would they be? Oz only knows, but still. I'm a wanted fugitive and everyone thinks Fiyero is dead. We have to be careful." Elphaba explained. She knew how good the Gale Force was. Well, how good they were with Fiyero as their captain, anyway. Oz knows how good they are now, with the new captain. But they had to be on their guard nonetheless. Otherwise they could be caught and sent to Southstairs– or worse.

"Elphaba's right guys. The Gale Force (Dorothy, they're what we call the Wizard's guards and army.) is good at what they do- I should know, I was captain before I betrayed them. And it's not just them that could be on the lookout for us, either. Many people are so obsessed with hunting down and killing "The Witch" that they go and try it for themselves. People are crazy. So she's right, we do need to be careful. We should leave at night so that we can cover ourselves better. By then it'll be cold so we can wear cloaks to shield our faces. We shouldn't have a problem, really, but it's better to be safe than sorry," Fiyero agreed with Elphaba.

"That's actually a really smart idea, Fiyero. When did that handsome little brain of yours actually start thinking for once?" Elphaba joked.

"Actually it was Lion Cub day..." He answered, knowing that the question was rhetorical but answering anyway. Elphaba stared into his eyes for a moment, trying to process what he had just said. After what seemed like hours, she shook her head and moved on.

"Elphie," Boq began his question by using her old nickname, earning him a glare from Elphaba. "Elphaba?" He corrected himself.

"Yes Boq?" She sighed and rolled her eyes tiredly.

"You were saying something earlier about an idea you had.." He trailed off.

"Oh yeah! I was going to say that I thought of a way we might be able to get the Wizard and Morrible out of power, but it's definitely not full proof, and there's a better chance of it not working than the other way around. It's not even that brilliant of a plan, really. However it would help me live up to my title, which I decided to start doing right after," Elphaba swallowed hard, trying to shake away the memory of seeing the Gale Force hang Fiyero onto the pole. "Right after I accidentally (but thankfully) turned Fiyero into a scarecrow..."

"Fae, you-" he started.

"I know Fiyero, I know. It was stupid. But after that happened, after they hung you up there, I thought you _died_. And I didn't want to live without you. I figured, if Fiyero Tiggular was gone, then so was Elphaba Thropp. She would be no more. Just the Wicked Witch, a nameless face in the crowd- only in the crowd I'm in, everyone recognizes me by screaming in terror and running. I thought that if I let my old self go, then I would become more of who people expected me to be. And I was wrong, which for me is a big deal," she chuckled to herself. "But I'm sorry. I wasn't really thinking rationally, and it was a mistake. I'm sorry," she repeated.

"Fae, it's fine, I forgive you. I was just going to say that your ideas usually work anyways. I mean, do you even remember Lion Cub Day at all? Your magic rescued that Cub, even if it was at first unintentional. Your plan- no matter how spontaneous it was- to defy the Wizard worked, even if you didn't know you would have to do that prior to your visit in The Emerald City. Your plans to hide from the Gale Force were obviously successful, because we never found you. Not until you visited Nessa after you saw that house flying through the sky, anyway. So, I don't know about any of the others, but I know I want to hear your idea." Fiyero said, trying to convince her.

"Wait," Dorothy interjected. "You said something about a house flying through the sky.. What was that about..?" She asked timidly, knowing what would probably come next.

"Fiyero and I were, uh, walking in the woods," Elphaba started, glossing over the details- which Fiyero noticed, smirking- "and I saw a house flying through the sky. Then I heard a cry for help and a scream, and I got this feeling that my sister was in danger, so I went to her. When I got to Munchkinland, Nessarose had been crushed by the house and she was dead."

Dorothy couldn't take it any longer. "Oh Elphaba, I'm so sorry! It was my house that flew through the sky! I didn't know it would happen, I didn't mean for it to! I never ever meant to hit your sister with my house, I just couldn't steer and I didn't know where I was going, and I'm- I'm just really sorry!" She exclaimed suddenly, almost in tears.

"Dorothy, it wasn't your fault, I believe you! Nessa was miserable anyway. She may have been my sister, but she didn't treat me as such. Besides, there wasn't much you could do about hitting her. I understand, and I forgive you. It's okay," Elphaba reassured the girl.

"So do you guys agree with Fiyero? That my ideas and plans are actually worth listening to?" She asked shyly.

"Of course," Boq said. "Elphaba, you were the smartest student in all of Shiz- and you probably still are the smartest student to ever study there. I think our best bet of doing whatever it is you want to do-" Fiyero whispered something in his ear- "I think our best bet of getting the Wizard and Morrible out of power and freeing the Animals would be to use one of your plans."

"Dorothy?" Elphaba asked her.

"I'm with Boq and Fiyero on this one. Obviously I haven't known you as long as they have, but I do trust you, and I trust them. I'm going to agree with them, because I have faith in you, and although I'm not entirely positive of what we're doing, I know we can do it." She smiled, and that was all that Elphaba needed.

"Okay then! So here's what we're going to do," she started.

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